March 2016 (Volume XXVII, Number 3)

Working with Cranes: What You Need to Know
Authored
by Mark Chisholm, this article addresses what it takes to do crane work
from the perspective of a person doing the rigging, making the cut,
whether climbing or using a bucket truck, and the crew working on the
ground. Read it now!

February 2016 (Volume XXVII, Number 2)

Green Waste: Co-op Going After the Biochar Market
It
may sound like some new high-tech product or tree-hugger cause, but
biochar can transform agricultural waste into an
environmentally-friendly soil enhancer. And a group of Florida tree care
professionals is betting it will improve their profits as well. Read it now!

Women's Climbing Workshop Fosters Atmosphere for Learning
More
than 120 women have successfully completed the Women's Tree Climbing
Workshop since its founding in 2009. Learn more about their 2016
workshops, and check out a Q&A with founders Melissa LeVangie, Bear
LeVangie and Marcy Carpenter and lead instructor Rebecca Siebel-Hunt. Read it now!

Finding the Best Job-Tracking Business Software
Author
Brandon Gallagher-Watson spent weeks interviewing arborists, business
owners, customer service reps, production managers, and product
manufacturers about which software can best help you run your tree care
business. Check out their insights in this article. Read it now!

September 2015 (Volume XXVI, Number 9)

Getting More than Chips on a Chip Truck
Chip
trucks – or chip-dumps or forestry trucks, as they are sometimes called
– are a relatively mature equipment class. But that does not mean they
don’t keep evolving! This article shows how to turn your chip trucks
into a log loader, debris hauler, and more.Read it now!

Musculoskeletal Injuries
Part
9 of the popular “First Aid for Arborists” series discusses how to deal
with musculoskeletal injuries, including dislocations, fractures,
sprains and strains. Read it now!

August 2015 (Volume XXVI, Number 8)

Adjusting Your Fall-Arrest Harness
This is the third in a series of articles to run in TCI Magazine
looking at aerial lift operator safety. Review the article and the
accompanying photos to ensure your harness is safe and secure. Your life
may depend on it!
(Read it now!

July 2015 (Volume XXVI, Number 7)

Black Walnut's Uncertain Future
In
2001, arborists and foresters started reporting black walnut deaths due
to thousand cankers disease in Colorado. Today, green industry
professionals still struggle to manage this disease.Read it now!

Restoration Pruning After Storms
Tree
restoration is an important part of caring for trees in our clients'
landscapes. This article addresses damage to trees during storms (or
poor tree care practices) and how arborists can help trees recover from
these injuries.Read it now!

June 2015 (Volume XXVI, Number 6)

Grappling with Safety Issues for Attachments
Grapples
and other attachments, can reduce labor and, in doing so, cut down on
labor-related injuries. But they also introduce safety concerns of their
own that, if you use grapples and attachments in your business, you
need to get a grip on, as well. Read it now!

Climbing Tips for Long Term Body Health
As
arborists, tree climbers and "industrial athletes," we need to
constantly be diligent and true to our bodies, our "machines." This
article outlines eight simple steps to help remind you to keep yourself
tuned and fit. Read it now!

May 2015 (Volume XXVI, Number 5)

Helping Heroes Stay Safe
Arbormax
Tree Service trained 150 soldiers in the Army National Guard on the
fundamentals of chain saw safety, saw maintenance operations, and
reactive forces. Such safety skills are crucial for these men and women,
who often deal with dangerous situations in the aftermath of natural
disasters. Read it now!

March 2015 (Volume XXVI, Number 3)

Let’s Get Small: The New Age of Articulated Mini LoadersBy Rick Howland
Trending
now in tree care equipment are smaller machines that can do as much or
more work than their predecessors. One of the newer trends that’s
expected to have a growing influence in the industry is the articulated
mini skid steer or loader. Articulated means they “bend” or pivot on an
axis somewhere amidships.

First Aid Part 3: Resuscitation – CPR and AED Skills for Tree WorkersBy John Ball and Megan Johnson
Cardiopulmonary
resuscitation (CPR) is a skill everyone should know, particularly
workers in high-risk occupations such as tree care. In occupations such
as line clearance and logging, the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) requires at least two persons on every crew be
trained in CPR and first aid. There is good reason for this requirement,
as every year tree workers have survived serious incidents due to the
quick action of a co-worker who was trained in CPR and first aid.

Conservation Arboriculture: Maintaining Old Trees In the Human LandscapeBy Philip van Wassenaer and Alex Satel
For
many people, trees are just another part of daily life. While everyone
relies on, and many even take for granted, the ecological benefits trees
provide every day, people’s interactions with trees are often limited.
From time to time they might rake up leaves or prune a few branches, and
even fewer may at some point in their lives plant a tree. But few
people realize that trees, like works of art, stories or historic
buildings, can also be part of a shared cultural, spiritual and natural
heritage.

Collateral Effects of Neonicotinoid InsecticidesBy Michael J. Raupp, Ph.D., and Adrianna Szczepaniec, Ph.D.
In
recent years, invasive insect pests such as hemlock woolly adelgid and
emerald ash borer have had a multibillion-dollar impact on lost property
values and expenditures by private citizens and governments to thwart
their attacks (Raupp 2014). To combat these pests arborists, government
agencies, and private citizens have employed systemic insecticides
belonging to a class of compounds known as the neonicotinoids. Now we
are finding that arborists need to be aware of the potential for
collateral damage using these insecticides.

Outdoor Wood-Fired Boilers are a Hot IdeaBy David Rattigan
Brian
Martin has a dream. Or at least a darn good idea. The North American
distributor for Portage & Main Outdoor Water Furnaces envisions a
world where tree care crews comes home at the end of the day with logs
and other scrap that will be fed into the outdoor wood boiler that heats
their company’s buildings during the cold-weather months.

Not Your Everyday Crane RemovalBy Devon Hutton
We
had two intense thunderstorms go through our area September 5, 2014,
starting in the Six Mile Lake area of Georgian Bay Township, Ontario,
Canada, and traveling northwest to southeast. Straight-line wind shears
of 90-110 km/h went through to the Orillia area (more than 60km away),
picking up in strength to over 130 km/h, and eventually ending with a
confirmed EF-1 tornado (winds with speeds of 135-175 km/h) just south
east of Orillia in a small community of Udney. There, the first line
went through at approximately 2 p.m., and then another just after 5:45
p.m., with some powerful straight line winds and intense thunder and
lightning.

Effective Biological Control: Understanding the Relationship between Natural Enemies and PreyBy Raymond Cloyd
Biological
control is a plant protection strategy that involves relying on natural
enemies (or biological control agents) to regulate insect or mite pest
populations. It is important to understand that biological control is a
regulatory process. Natural enemies will not eradicate an insect or mite
pest population; the success of natural enemies in landscapes and
nurseries is contingent on maintaining insect or mite pest numbers at
levels low enough to minimize plant damage.

TCI Magazine 25th Anniversary
The
May 2015 issue of TCI Magazine will represent the completion of 25
years of publishing. Starting with this January issue and continuing
throughout 2015, we will take a look back through our archives and
recall, and sometimes reprint, articles or accounts of people, places
and events, as well as services, supplies and equipment, that had an
impact on the industry during these 25 years.

December 2014 (Volume XXV, Number 12)

Waste Not, Want Not: Tree Recycling Reaches 100 PercentBy Rick Howland
There’s
no reason to have unwanted wood waste any more. And there’s absolutely
no reason you shouldn’t be making money from the whole tree. Thirty
years ago, I had asked a tree care guy if he’d leave the chips from a
takedown so I could use them to mulch around my deck. He said, in no
uncertain terms, that there was something wrong with my thinking and
that he would not leave trash behind any of his jobs. Over the years,
that “trash” has turned to treasure. And, by the way, he is out of
business. Therein lies the story: Unrecognized opportunity.

These Crane Tools Bring Tree Work to a Higher LevelBy David Rattigan
Through
the years, resourceful arborists have borrowed and adapted tools from
wherever they could find them. Going back to World War II, many an
entrepreneurial veteran bought his first truck as Army surplus. The
military had also made adaptations that brought the chain saw into the
suburban backyard, and developed mist sprayers and chemicals to keep
mosquitoes at bay. The nylon used in military parachutes later became
the preferred material for climbing lines, until it was replaced by
materials and weaves that came from sailing or mountaineering. Several
changes have come within the industry itself, as arborists have tweaked
existing machinery to make it better, safer, more productive and/or
faster. They have then shared their innovations with others in the
field.

Anthropogenic Tree Decline (Trees Dying for No Apparent Reason)By Ralph J. Zingaro
Trees
have been making a lot of news lately. Regardless of the primary (or
secondary) causes, i.e. insects, pathogens, there may be something
greater going on that is predisposing trees, particularly larger trees,
to accelerated decline and death.

Evaluating Today’s Fuel Choices for Your FleetBy Michael Moser
With
all the buzz in recent years about alternative fuels, you may have
given some thought to whether switching from gasoline or diesel could be
a viable option for your organization. Alternative fuels are quickly
becoming more popular for a number of reasons. The high cost of
petroleum, market volatility, amplified environmental interest,
advancements in technology and strict regulations are all contributing
factors.

November 2014 (Volume XXV, Number 11)

Compact Aerial Lifts – How High and Far Do They Reach?By Rick Howland
Manufacturers
of compact aerial lifts may not agree on the exact nomenclature of the
machines they make and sell. And they may not agree on the exact “sweet
spot” in terms of up-and-out reach for tree care professionals. But they
do agree that, while the aerial lift for tree care work may be in the
early stages of its acceptance, the technology will become a staple in
the industry’s equipment fleet.

Abiotic Tree Problems Should be Addressed Early OnBy Lew Bloch
From
time to time I have discussed with colleagues that we, as arborists,
are on the tail end of the so-called food chain for tree problems. We
are often faced with the challenges and problems caused by others in the
green industry. I am not proposing that these problems are intentional
or malicious, but they certainly are real problems. Let me explain; let
us refer to it as the life of a tree.

New Rope and Rope Tools for Tree CareBy David Rattigan
For
many of those in the tree industry, detecting the annual evolution of
rope may seem a little bit like when the wife – or husband – stands in
the doorway and asks, “Do you notice anything different?” Sometimes the
changes are so incremental, it’s tough to answer that question, and
sometimes the only thing to notice is a new dye job or, in the case of
the husband, that the mustache or beard has been trimmed.

Bartlett to Establish Museum of ArboricultureBy Don Blair, CTSP
Whether
it is a sport such as baseball, a hobby or passion for something such
as motorcycles or classic cars, a profession such as engineering or
lawyering, or a trade such as welding and fabrication, you will
invariably find some common traits of the professional: at least one
association (usually more), certifications and accreditations, magazines
devoted to the subject, conventions, trade shows, exhibitions, and/or
competitions of one form or another. The tree care industry has all of
these in abundance, but one thing many of the others have that we have
been lacking is a museum. That is until recently.

October 2014 (Volume XXV, Number 10)

Crane Removal: No, Not That Tree!By Todd Kramer, CTSP
Have
you ever gotten that call from a sales rep about a tree that you are
very familiar with, dread the thought of, and that now needs to be
removed? I received that call late in the winter.
We have a client
who does a lot of work with us. She has three residential properties,
all on the same block. They are full of mature trees, mostly white and
burr oaks. We have been maintaining these trees for many years, and the
client loves her trees and her property. She spends a lot of time
working in the gardens in and around all of her trees.

Firewood Season Already AflameBy Rick Howland
In
most parts of North America, the firewood season is just getting
started right about now. Though market-watchers agree that the firewood
season usually starts slowly – well below the high prices of the prior
year and topping out as demand peaks and the winter ends – not so this
year. October is picking up right where March left off with spot
shortages and high prices, and it’s due to a confluence of factors.

Phytophthora Diseases: Recognition & ControlBy Olaf K. Ribeiro
The
increasing incidences of Phytophthora species infecting several major
tree species worldwide makes it important that we recognize what this
pathogen can do and what we can do to control it in our local areas.
Phytophthora is perhaps best known for being the causal agent of sudden
oak death in California, where several thousand oak trees succumbed to
this disease. Phytophthora is now also known to be causing the death of
several valuable tree species throughout Europe. In fact, Phytophthora
is known to cause diseases in over one thousand plant species.

Pruning Exceptions to the Rules: Topping and Heading TreesBy Cass Turnbull
I
recently gave a talk on the work that PlantAmnesty has done to end tree
topping. At the end of the talk someone asked the question, “Are there
any circumstances where you consider crown reduction pruning is OK?” To
which I replied, “Sure. There are even instances when tree topping is
okay.”

September 2014 (Volume XXV, Number 9)

Gas Engines Hot Again with Tier 4 Diesel Restrictions PendingBy Rick Howland
It’s
come full-circle – the debate over gasoline versus diesel engines for
tree care equipment such as chippers and, to a lesser extent, stump
grinders. About 20 years ago it was the gasoline engines that were
falling out of favor, and diesel was the new power plant darling. There
were two reasons for this. First, the gasoline engine went through the
tortuous and mysterious path of clean-burn technology. Second, diesel
engines provided more torque than gas engines in those days and were
less costly to run.

Chain Saw Use: Plan and Position to Cut Safely Using Both HandsBy Ken Palmer
Today’s
chain saws are designed, engineered and built to be handled with both
hands, using very specific cutting methods. Tree climbing and rigging
methods, bucket trucks, cranes and many types of lifting equipment all
can be used to position someone, somewhere, to cut something.
Professional tree workers frequently use chain saws, and in many
different positions. As we all know, working with chain saws can be
dangerous.

Climbing in Search of Asian Longhorned BeetleBy Melissa LeVangie, CTSP
I
have the honor to work with 24 other climbers in the Asian Longhorned
Beetle (ALB) Eradication Program in Worcester, Massachusetts. In
Massachusetts, the ALB eradication program is led by the U.S. Department
of Agriculture and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and
Recreation. Our primary focus is to find ALB-infested trees and to
eradicate the beetle from central Massachusetts. The tree climbing
position involves tasks, techniques and challenges that we encounter
every day on the job as regular climbing arborists.

Implementing ANSI A300 in Real World Tree PreservationBy Dane Buell, CTSP
Here
is the scenario: Your client has four linden trees (Tilia americana)
and two London plane trees (Platanus × acerifolia) growing along a
roadway and parking area. The property owner is building additional
office space in the area that is a parking lot now. He is concerned
about preserving the trees because he has noticed the ones on the
adjacent property are not doing well.

August 2014 (Volume XXV, Number 8)

Get Your Share of the ROW BoomBy Rick Howland
What’s
new in heavy equipment for ROW maintenance is… ROW maintenance. And
it’s not just that it’s simply the busy season for this kind of work.
What we found are certainly some innovations and trends in use of larger
ROW equipment. More to the point, however, we discovered that the
right-of-way business is hot. You might say “ROW is WOW!”.

Weathering a Storm as a Residential Tree Care CompanyBy Dane Buell, CTSP
The
news is buzzing with reports of a severe storm headed your way. You
feel excited because once again you will be the local hero. You begin
your normal preparations and think positively about all the good things
this storm will bring to your business.

Choosing the Right Hand Pruner or HandsawBy Jen Kettell
I
can talk about tools all day long; I won’t, but I certainly can. Since
pruning is my most preferred horticultural task, I hope to share what I
have learned and what I love about hand pruners and handsaws. Before
deeply delving into tool talk, let’s review the importance of one
particular article of PPE (personal protective equipment) – eye
protection.

July 2014 (Volume XXV, Number 7)

Beech Nut – Understanding, Appreciating and Caring for Fagus sylvaticaBy Howard Gaffin
The
European beech (Fagus sylvatica) is native to parts of Denmark, Norway
and Sweden. Some research suggests its spread through continental Europe
is linked to agricultural patterns. The purple variety was found
growing naturally in three or four places in central Europe, the first
written accounts appearing around 1680. While there is no record of the
date of introduction to the U.S., it was noted in both George
Washington’s and Thomas Jefferson’s plant lists.

Arborist Weigh in on One-Handing a Chain Saw
Chain
saw one-handing is controversial practice among professional arborists.
We can make two points about it that shouldn’t be that controversial:
It’s epidemic in our industry, and it’s NOT allowed by the industry’s
standards for safe work practices. What is your company’s position on
it? Do you allow it? Disallow it? Permit it in certain situations? Or do
you ignore that it’s happening?

First Aid: What's in your kit?By John Ball, CTSP
First-aid
kits are as essential to tree care and removal operations as the
personal protective equipment (PPE) we wear during the work day. The
latter helps keep you from getting hurt; the former helps you if you’re
hurt.
Unfortunately, too often first-aid kits are regarded as
talisman, a mystical box that wards off all evil. The kit sits unopened
for years, often stuffed under the truck seat buried beneath the
accumulated debris of countless jobs and breaks. Then one day, in an
emergency of course, the rusted kit is pried open and mysterious
packages that have yellowed and become brittle with age appear, or the
box is empty – so much for any aid.

Matching Stump Grinders to Your BusinessBy Rick Howland
Right
off, most manufacturers will tell you that even the smallest stump
grinder will do the job of making stumps disappear. If you do only one
or two here and there, or have a lot of close-in work in highly
populated areas, the basic stumper is fine.

June 2014 (Volume XXV, Number 6)

Single Rope Ascent and Work PositioningBy Odis Sisk
Single
rope technique, or SRT, is a set of methods to ascend or descend on one
part of a rope. You are moving up one tail of the rope, while the rope
is stationary. That is a single rope system in its most basic form.
SRT
has been the accepted method for many types of industrial rope access
for as long as there has been industrial rope access. It is also very
common in cave exploration and rock climbing. However, there are many
differences between those and arboricultural SRT.

Five-Year Analysis of Fatal Tree Care AccidentsBy Peter Gerstenberger
In
2009, the TCIA began compiling information on tree care-related
accidents as reported in the media through its “Accident Briefs” feature
in TCI Magazine. Typically, the accidents we report are those covered
in the news media, and conveyed to us by a “Google Search” on selected
keywords. Occasionally a member sends us a newspaper clipping from their
area, or we find an account of a fatal accident on OSHA’s website.

The Science, Politics, and Art of Urban Tree SelectionBy Bob Polomski, Ph.D.
When
I was asked to present a topic on urban tree selection at the 2014 ISA
Southern Chapter Annual Conference in Myrtle Beach this past February, I
was honored – and humbled – by the importance of this task. The trees
you select, plant, and maintain now become your legacy in the future.

Grapples Let You Get a Better Grip on BusinessByRick Howland
It’s
not difficult to see that the word “grapple” is derived from the French
word “grape.” It harkens to the days of grape harvesting and vintners
working with primitive tools attempting to efficiently grasp those
awkwardly shaped fruits at harvest time. From grape harvesting then to
tree care now, the word still applies. When we use a grapple, the tool
from which the word derives, we are trying to gain control, get a grip
of something so we can manage what we move and how we move it.

May 2014 (Volume XXV, Number 5)

The Current State of Tree Injection Methods and MaterialsBy Patrick Parker, CTSP
Last
fall, in response to a growing interest in the subject, TCIA organized a
tree injection summit aimed at “combining cutting edge presentations,
demonstrations, and practical application discussions related to tree
injection ... covering everything from the deeply scientific to the
practical.” For all intents and purposes, the November 13, 2013, event,
held in conjunction with TCI EXPO in Charlotte, North Carolina, and
hosted at the Bartlett Tree Research Lab in Charlotte, did just that.

Origin of Buds, Branches and SproutsBy Kevin T. Smith, Ph.D.
Recent
research shows that survivor trees in rural, managed forests rebuild
broken crowns with new branches and foliage after ice storm injury.
Veteran trees in historic parks and landscapes show repeated cycles of
crown loss and recovery. Crown rebuilding or reiteration from sprouts is
a physiological response with architectural effects that occur after
crown injury or as part of tree aging, or senescence. That a tree would
form new shoots and branches to replace lost foliage and photosynthetic
capacity makes sense. However, arboriculture and the public sometimes
seem divided on what to do with branch and stem sprouts.

Forces in RiggingBy Todd Kramer, CTSP
Myself and one of our crews had a pretty challenging day a while back.
I
received a call from Juan Yepez, one of our top-performing crew
leaders, on a gorgeous summer day. I was out pruning trees on a
residential job enjoying the day. He mentioned he was on a crane job (we
own two smaller boom trucks, 18 and 23 ton) with a broken branch on a
house. He mentioned he could get the brush off the limb but not the wood
at the contact point on the house. The butt of the limb was still
attached to the trunk with a little wood holding, I was told.

TCIA Launches Arborist Safety Training InstituteBy Tamsin Venn
Access
to local, affordable, high-quality safety training has been a challenge
for arborists for decades. TCIA has launched a new initiative that
will, once fully underway, provide cost-subsidized safety training and
education for tree care companies nationwide. The initiative launched
last fall and fundraising for the Arborist Safety Training Institute, or
ASTI, is now well underway.

Chippers Unlocking the Door to Mulch and Biomass MarketsBy Rick Howland
Chippers can be a gateway to profitability in the emerging mulch and biomass markets. With
a chipper, the small- to mid-size tree care professional can do more
than reduce waste volume. They can join the “big boys” and actually make
money in the waste-to-mulch or waste-to-biomass markets.

April 2014 (Volume XXV, Number 4)

Soil Tree Treatments – Lessons learned from invasive insect controlBy Phil Lewis, Ph.D.
When
they write the history books for destructive tree pests for the 21st
century, there will be two extensive entries for the emerald ash borer
(EAB) and the Asian longhorned beetle (ALB). Both insects are thought to
have first arrived in the U.S. in the 1980s or so, when both our
economy and our trade with China experienced exponential growth.

Useful Tools in Plant Health Care – Phenology and Degree DaysBy Sylvia McNeill, BCMA
Caught
up in the depths of winter, we hold fast to the knowledge that spring
will indeed come. We know it will … it’s on the calendar. It appears
every year on the exact same day with the exact same circumstances. Or
does it? Calendar-wise it can vary just a couple of days, but
climatically, it can vary a lot. We know buds will start to swell, birds
become active and insects start to develop. In addition to providing
pleasing fragrance and visual appeal, those beautiful blooming plants
offer an opportunity to assist plant health care (PHC) professionals in
predicting the emergence of insects.

What’s Behind the Mini Lift’s Growing Popularity?By Rick Howland
When
the mini lift arrived on American shores a bit over a decade ago, it
would have been difficult to see how quickly they’d grow into such a key
part of the tree care equipment fleet, overtake climbing and challenge
the venerability of the bucket truck. After all, these mini lifts were
just re-purposed aerial units designed largely for building maintenance.
However, as soon as the mini lift started reaching into the branches,
it became clear that they would be here to stay, based on two business
needs: safety and productivity. If you’ve been in business for any
period of time, you’ll recognize that safety and productivity are often
at odds. Will safe practices slow productivity (and thus impact the
bottom line), or will increased productivity threaten safety (and drive
up labor costs)?

Aerial Rescue: The Complexities of PreparationBy Sam Kezar, CTSP
During
my presentation on this same subject at TCI EXPO in Charlotte last
November, I asked the audience how many of them practiced aerial rescue.
Most raised their hands. Then I asked, “How many of you do crane
removals?” A handful raised their hands. Then I asked, “How many of you
practice an aerial rescue for an accident involving a crane?” No one
raised a hand …
Emergency response takes a lot of careful planning
for it to work effectively if the need arises. This article outlines
those challenges, and the planning, preparation and protocols needed to
be ready for a rescue.

Mr. Arborist, Save My AshBy Howard Gaffin
Although
it was a sad sight to see, I cannot deny the delight I took in calling
this one. A virtual classroom of cracks, included bark, and excessive
end weight, a main scaffold of a white ash tree had ripped out of its
defective attachment point during a late summer weather event.

March 2014 (Volume XXV, Number 3)

Proper Maintenance on Compact Loaders and Skid Steers Pays DividendsBy Rick Howland
What
kind of skid-steer or compact loader user are you? The kind who takes
great care of the equipment, able to get right to the job? Or one of
those who treats machines like disposable tools, running them until they
need to make repairs (and they always seem to be making repairs)?

Chain Saw Safety: Keeping the Fundamentals in MindBy Keith Norton
Chain
saws are important, everyday tools for arborists, used for any number
of felling, pruning or crane jobs – and sometimes it can be easy to
forget a few simple safety measures that can lead to injury or tragedy.

Pruning For PerformanceBy Tyler Altenburger
Developmental
pruning is the art of training a tree to grow as a single stemmed
structure through the practice of pruning. If left untouched for many
years, trees will often develop problems for the next generation of
homeowners and arborists that will be difficult to solve or mitigate.
Although there are other reasons for developmental pruning, we will
mainly focus on one, the future structure of a young deciduous tree.

CNG for Tree Care FleetsBy Mike Ingles
President
Obama, in his State-of-the-Union address in January, extolled the
benefits of compressed natural gas (CNG) technology and explained,
“Businesses plan to invest almost a hundred billion dollars in new
factories that use natural gas. I’ll cut red tape to help states get
those factories built and put folks to work, and this Congress can help
by putting people to work building fueling stations that shift more cars
and trucks from foreign oil to American natural gas.”

Chipper Safety in Ground Operations
By Dane Buell, CTSP
For
the past 25 years, Dane Buell has been working with chippers and ground
operations. This month, he takes a look at his personal experiences and
reviews what can happen while operating a chipper.

Spar Pole Rigging - Mitigating the Hazards
By Anthony Tresselt, CTSP
This
article looks at climber tie-in points (TIPs) for both-single and
doubled-line climbing systems. The variations are numerous, so the
article focuses on the basic benefits and application of a few simple
set ups.

Aerial Lifts Are Going, Going, Gone Hybrid
By Rick Howland
The
concept of a hybrid lift may be difficult to wrap one’s head around,
but this article highlights the myriad of options that may spark ideas
about customizing a piece tailored to your business.

Tents, Cankers and the Return of Spring
By Michael J. Raupp
Michael
J. Raupp explains why the return of tent caterpillars, cankerworms, and
other early season defoliators provide incentive for arborists to
redouble monitoring activities on a wide variety of landscape trees and
shrubs for symptoms and signs of pesky early season caterpillars.

Bad Weather Ahead? Time To Load
By Rick Howland
Selecting
a loader for maximum productivity isn’t as simple as choosing one with
the most horsepower. With so many different sizes and options of loaders
available, horsepower is only one consideration, explains Rick Howland.

February 2012 (Volume XXIII, Number 2)

Can Stump Grinders Really Go Green?
By Rick Howland
Rick
Howland explains how the biggest thing stump grinders have been doing
to be green is to maximize productivity while minimizing fuel
consumption.

Organic Land Care: Healthy Soil for Happy Trees
By Bill Duesing
Organic
land care encourages diversity and avoids harsh fertilizers and toxic
chemicals. This article is an excerpt of the NOFA Standards in Organic
Land Care, Practices for Design and Maintenance of Ecological Landscape.

A Preview of Changes in the New Z133
By Peter Gerstenberger
The
ANSI Z133 is a comprehensive safety standard written by arborists for
the arboriculture profession that applies to employers and employees
engaged in arboricultural operations. Since the last revision of the
Z133 was six years ago, Peter Gerstenberger previews the standard’s
upcoming changes.

ROW Equipment Has a Green History
By Tamsin Venn
This
article explores how Right of Way (ROW) mechanical equipment consists
of some of the biggest toys in the tree care industry and yet, these
rugged monsters can still be environmentally friendly.

January 2012 (Volume XXIII, Number 1)

Diary of a Storm Chaser
By Michael Roche
Michael
Roche of TCIA member company Stowe Tree Experts tells the story of how
he drove to Connecticut in October 2011 to aid in the recover from the
catastrophic “snowtober” that devastated so much of the landscape across
the state.

Insect Vectored Plant Diseases
By Gary W.Moorman
When
plant pathogens and insects work together, the results can be
devastating – Oak wilt, Dutch elm disease, bacterial leaf scorch, elm
yellows and thousand cankers are five such diseases. This article
explores these damaging diseases.

TCI EXPO 2011 Photos and Wrap Up
Despite
an unprecedented snowfall that wreaked havoc on the region, nearly
2,000 attendees enjoyed three days of workshops, seminars and
demonstrations focused on the tree care industry. Take a peek at what
happened at the world’s largest tree care industry trade show and
conference in 2011.

Rigging: Mechanical Advantages for Arborists
By Anthony Tresselt
Mechanical
advantage is the amplification of input force gained by using a tool,
devise or machine. This month, Anthony Tresselt explores this useful art
and science.